Lost Heart, Last Shot
by StarGazer95
Summary: Dogs have a way of sensing the good and evil in someone. Claire's had a rough life, past and present, and she just wants a shot at a normal life. When a furry white companion named Chica enters her life along with her lovable and caring owner, Claire has to learn to love again. Maybe there is still room in her heart for one more.
1. Prologue

**Hi Guys**

 **So you remember how I said I wanted to maybe write a Markiplier fanfiction. Well, my mind wouldn't let me go and this is where it led me. So I wrote a bit of the first chapter and then this. I'm going to leave this up for a bit and see if people will enjoy it and review it. I don't know. It just sort of came to me. So here's a little excerpt. If you guys like it, let me know in the reviews. No hate! Thanks for everything guys! You mean the world to me right now!**

* * *

" _Awh!" He chuckled. "Look Claire. Your knight in shining armor. Oh and look! He brought a friend as well!" Eric laughed, taking a step toward the two men standing in his home. Claire's eyes were wide, chocolate brown orbs staring over at him._

 _Mark swallowed thickly, standing there with his fists clenched at the sight of her. Broken, bruised, tied up and gagged like she was nothing but a puppet. She had warned him about this. How crazy this man was, but he didn't think it was true._

 _Eric was then standing in front of him, chuckling. "That's what I thought. Too scared. What, you got blue boy calling the police or something? They won't get here in time. Not when I'm finished with her. And then I'll work on both of you." He growled, before turning around, taking a few steps back toward Claire. She was struggling, what little energy she had left trying to get out of those bonds._

" _Get her out of here. Whatever you do." Mark growled low to Tyler, who was standing beside him. Tyler looked at him for a moment, confusion written across his face. It then hit him. "Mark. . ."_

 _Mark knew, but he had to take his chances. With her in the middle of this. He had to. He nodded to Tyler, before he moved. His arms grabbed around Eric's shoulder when he had turned his back. With all his strength. He shoved the man forward and into the floor. They fell into the hallway with a struggle, disappearing down the hall._

 _Tyler moved forward quickly, grabbing a knife from the table beside Claire. He quickly untied the gag, pulling it out of her mouth. "Easy! Claire, I got you." Claire shook her head, whimpering as he moved to cut the ropes holding her to the chair._

" _He'll hurt him, Tyler. He'll kill him! Please! Go help him!" Tyler knew that was true. He knew all too well. But Mark barked out the order. And he wasn't going to abandon it. He shook his head, sawing at the ropes on her feet. They came loose, before he focused on her wrists._

" _I know. Don't worry. Ethan's outside, he's calling the cops." He said softly, finally finishing at her hands and freeing them. Claire shakily wrapped her arms around Tyler's neck, afraid if she would stand she would fall. Tyler moved and helped her up, feeling her tremble against his body, her hands clinging to his shirt._

" _You don't understand! He'll kill him!" She practically sobbed. He had never seen her so broken. True, he had seen her scared and nervous. But never this terrified. She was telling the truth. His heart and head betrayed him._

" _Alright! Let me get Ethan in here and get you . . ."_

 _ **Bang!**_

 _ **Bang!**_

 _Dead silence._

 _Tyler turned to look down the hall. The shots echoed in his ears. He could hear the sirens soon. They were getting closer._

" _Mark!" Claire screamed, trying to move forward. There were footsteps, and Ethan appeared in the doorway. He had heard it too._

 _Heavier footsteps thudded against the floor. A hand gripped at the doorway, and Tyler gasped out in relief when he saw Mark standing there. He moved forward toward Mark. "Eric. . ."_

" _Dead." His eyes were dark. He had killed that man. He killed him, to protect Claire. He turned to Claire as she whimpered, bruised hands covering her mouth. "Won't hurt you anymore." He whispered. As he pushed up from the doorway, Tyler spotted it. The red stain on the doorway._

" _Mark." He whispered, just as he collapsed on the floor, his other hand over the ever-growing blood stain on his shirt. But Claire had beat him to it, screaming._

 _There were two shots._

 _One had killed Eric._

 _The other had hit Mark_


	2. Chapter 1

"I don't understand. I've been working for you guys for months! You said I was one of the best employees here!"

"We did. But we're overstaffed and the new boss is being a pain in the ass about it. We had to let someone go. And we couldn't let Ally or Margaret go. They both have families and careers."

"And I don't!?" Clarissa Curtis exclaimed, her face red in agitation. He sighed and shook his head, running a hand through his hair. He hated being the one to do this. Especially now. "Look Gabriella. . . "He put his hand down, holding her wrist in a comforting way.

Claire scoffed, pulling her hand way as if it had been burned. "Just forget it. I'll find somewhere else to go." She spoke softly, grabbing her bag from the barstool and sliding it across her shoulder. She turned promptly on her heels, moving toward the door.

"Can I still. . .."

"No!" Normally she wouldn't snap like that, but she was not in the mood. She couldn't believe this. Fired out of the blue!? For no reason at all? How did that make any sense? She looked up into the clear blue California sky, before sighing and shivering.

Now what?

She had the day off now. But to what extent? This wasn't what she had planned on doing. And she didn't think she'd be able to keep herself calm to look for another. Purple strands of hair brushed into her mouth as she stood there, trying to keep herself together.

"You getting on, girl?"

That broke Claire out of her trance, and she looked up to the large bus in front of her. It wasn't a stop, but she couldn't help but grin. "Thanks, Heather." She said softly. The large African American women grinned, patting Claire on the shoulder as she waived the bus fare. "Something tells me that didn't go well. What happened?"

Claire was the only one on the bus, and this wasn't even a stop. But Heather had been the bus driver to her side of town for ages, and they had gotten to know each other. Claire considered her a mother that she really needed. She plopped in the first seat she saw, leaning back as the door closed. "Got fired. Don't even know why." She mumbled.

Heather rolled her eyes. "That's stupid. Should have given you a reason why." Claire scoffed. "I think I know. The new boss's daughter. That's why." Heather chuckled and shook her head. "Well, no use crying over spilled milk. You'll find another one. You want to go scouting?"

Claire shook her head, running a hand through her messy locks. "Can you just take me to the park? I need to cool down." She asked the woman. Heather smiled softly and nodded, before pulling off from the sidewalk and heading toward her destination.

* * *

Clarissa wished it wasn't like this. She just couldn't do this. She already struggled, having to keep three part-time jobs just to pay her bills that she was somehow getting behind on. How was she going to keep herself afloat?

 _Okay,_ _Clary. Think!_ Claire sighed, running a hand through her hair once again. She pulled her hand back, looking down at the faint white lines on her hands. She shook her head quickly, biting her lip. "I can take extra shifts at both jobs. Anybody calls out, just call me in. I need them. I can get there earlier or work later. Just until I get another job. They won't mind, right? One might. . .." She mumbled to herself. She was by herself on the bench, no one would notice.

It was a Tuesday; most kids were in school. There were only a few people here and there. College kids working on a project. Older women jogging down the path. A couple here and there walking and talking. It was quiet and cool, a bright sunny day. At least to most, not to her.

How was she going to keep herself alive? She could feel her breathing pick up at the thought of bills and food. "No, no! You will not go into an attack. Not like this!" She whispered, her hands grasping her hair as she tried to calm herself down. She folded her body down so her face was on her knees. She let the breeze cool her body down, calming her until she was breathing even once again. An attack at this moment was not good, not good at all.

She looked up at the sun for a moment, shivering from the breeze. It wasn't like she was really dressed for this. She was wearing old torn up jeans, an old band t-shirt of some kind, oversized hoodie, and scuffed up converses. The only clothes she could afford now. She probably looked like a homeless person or something. Freaking out over nothing.

"What am I going to do?" She whined, putting her face in her hands.

At that moment, something stopped her. It was cold and wet, sniffing at the skin through of the holes in her jeans. She pulled her hands back, to be met with a furry white dog sniffing at her leg. It looked up at her, wagging its tail before sitting there with her tongue lolled out the side of her mouth.

"Well, hi there!" Claire cooed, scratching the pup behind the ears. She seemed friendly, and very interested in Claire right now. Claire looked to see a collar on the pup's neck, a leash attached to it. "Did you get away from your family, girl?" She asked, grabbing at the leash so she wouldn't try to run off again. Least she could do was find an owner. If not she'd take the pup home until tomorrow. Then she could take her to a shelter or something, or maybe keep her. The dog looked at her, before whining and putting her head in Claire's lap, tail wagging slowly.

"I'm alright girl. Just struggling right now is all." She said softly. Dogs could always sense when something was wrong, and she could tell. "Now where is your. . ."

"Chica! There you are!" Claire looked up when the dog pulled away, turning to look where the shouting was coming from. Claire looked up to see a tall male running her way, obviously, the owner of this dog. "Jeez Chica! Gave me a heart attack, don't do that to me bub! I'm sorry, she didn't bother you, did she?" He exclaimed, reaching for her collar so she wouldn't try to get away.

Claire shook her head, smiling, before grabbing more of the leash to hand to the owner. "No, of course not! She's a great comfort. I'm just glad she does belong to someone and didn't get too far away." She said, moving to hand the leash over. She looked up, and immediately her eyes widened.

In front of her. . . was Mark Fischbach.

The Markiplier.

Claire swallowed thickly, lost for words. She knew who this man was, of course. She watched his videos a lot. In all honesty, they kept her sane. She used them as an escape. An escape from reality. He was just the person to watch. She didn't play many games, but she knew a bunch because of him. He was an amazing guy. He loved his fans, was always honest and funny, and seemed to have a lot of fun with his games and videos.

And yet she was still staring like an idiot.

Mark chuckled, running a hand through his hair for a moment. He had just been having a nice day off. He didn't want his friends to worry too much and had told his fans that he needed a day just to relax. So he decided it would be a nice thing to take Chica out. She hadn't been out of the house much and had been stuck sleeping beside him in his home or in the studio so he decided it would be a good time to get her out.

He had taken her to the nearby park, watching her as she chased the birds and visited other dogs. She wasn't as shy as she used to be. And he was enjoying himself as well.

That was until Chica decided to take off and rip the leash from his hands.

The worst went through Mark's mind. He was sure she had gotten out of the park fences and had wandered off and he wouldn't find her anymore. He had searched half of the park and was on the verge of calling Tyler when he saw his companion, looking up at a girl on a bench. He immediately ran toward the girl, noting her disheveled appearance, before grabbing at Chica and immediately apologizing. Then he realized that she might know who he was. She wasn't familiar to him. Pretty in his eyes, even though her clothes were almost too big in size and were worn down. The only other thought was that she was a fan.

He chuckled. "I'm guessing you're a fan then?" He asked, noting how she had looked at him.

That broke Claire out of her trance. She shook her head. "No! I mean. . . .yeah, yeah I'm a fan. I know who you are. . . uh. . . here." She immediately grabbed the leash and handed it back to Mark, their hands brushing for a minute. She swallowed. "I didn't want her to get away so I thought I'd just hold onto the leash for a moment." She stammered. Immediately her face flushed red.

Mark chuckled, taking the leash and looping it around his wrist so she wouldn't get away. "Thanks for that. I don't know what I would have done if she had gotten farther away." He noted that this was where she had beelined before, but maybe he wasn't thinking straight. He was out of breath now. "I'm Mark, but I guess you already knew that then." He said, chuckling, before holding his hand out.

Claire shot up, wishing she hadn't. That looked desperate. It was then Mark really noticed her features. Long chocolate brown hair that fell in unruly waves around her face and down her shoulders. Her bangs were tinted purple and the tips were a faded blue. She had chocolate brown eyes, so dark they were almost black. And he found them mesmerizing. She was pale, very pale, and very thin. At least from what he saw. She seemed to only wear baggy clothing, which he wasn't judging. "I'm Clarissa." She spoke quickly, before wincing. "Claire." She repeated. Clarissa must have been her real name and Claire was a nickname. She held out her hand and he seemed to envelop it as they shook hands. Her grip was weak, almost fragile.

"It's very nice to meet you," Claire said, smiling up at him, before looking down at Chica. "And you must be Chica. It's very nice to meet you as well." She couldn't help but giggle when Chica put her paw up in her hand, shaking it. He grinned, seeing how close she already was with Chica. It was like his own pup knew she was a good person.

"So what are you doing out here? I mean, of course, you live here. I've just never seen you around here." She asked, trying to make a bit of conversation and make the air less awkward.

"Oh, I took a day off. Let the others have some peace. The time I gave this little bub some time out too." He said, scratching Chica on the head as her tongue lolled out to the side. Claire smiled, pushing her hair from her face. "She's great." She commented and Mark smiled, looking down at Chica in the silence.

Mark frowned. "Hey, are you alright? I kinda noticed you were down." He cared for his fans, and he wanted to make them feel like he cared. So what was one more?

Claire shook her head. "I wouldn't want to bother you. It's your day off. You should have fun." She stated, rubbing her arm and moving to sit back down on the bench. Mark shook his head, before moving and sitting beside her. It startled Claire a bit when he sat down.

"Come on, what's up?"

Claire bit her lip, looking up at Mark for a moment. Did she really want to bother him with this? He had to be busy. She didn't want to make it worse. She sighed and pushed a hand through her hair. "I have three part-time jobs. I moved from Oregon a few years ago, and have struggled basically the entire time. So to keep myself alive and not drowning in bills, I have as many jobs as I can get. But of course, I got fired from one today. They said it was no reason, but I believe they have a reason. Now I have to figure out where I'm going to get the extra money to pay my rent until I can find another job." It was as if the air was gone out of her body when she explained it to him. She couldn't believe she was telling her story to Mark. This was surreal.

Mark frowned. "That sucks." He never really had to worry about that. But it still bothered him to see anyone struggling. Now the clothes and the looks made sense. She couldn't afford much. "I'm sorry to hear that."

She shrugged. "Not like anyone could help it. Thanks though." She said softly, relaxing a bit as they talked. It was if they were normal, just talking about issues that everyone had. She stroked Chica's soft fur for a moment or two, the dog had rested her head in Claire's lap.

"She really seems to like you," Mark noted, looking at his dog's slow wagging tail.

"I really like her." She said softly. There was so much more in her mind, but she wasn't going to gush out her feelings and backstories to him. He just met her. She didn't want to scare him away.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Mark asked. Claire looked up at him, brown eyes wide, before shaking her head.

"If you're trying to offer me money, I'm going to say no and stand by it. There is no way you're doing that just because I'm a fan of yours. Your videos alone and this is enough for me. Thanks for taking your time out just to talk to me." She said, smiling at him. Mark smiled back, watching her. He had never met a fan like this ever.

"Well, until you find a new job. Don't worry about it. Today's your day off, right?" Mark asked, before standing up and handing Claire Chica's leash. Claire looked up at him, raising an eyebrow as she took the leash. "Now it is. Why?" She asked.

"You've got a day off. I've got a day off. Let's have a day off together." Mark exclaimed, helping her up off the bench. "And don't decline. I'm serious. There's a great food truck down the way a bit. We can grab lunch and just hang out and talk." He explained.

"Are you sure? I don't want to intrude." Claire stumbled, grabbing her bag off the bench. He shrugged. "Why not? It's not always I can meet a great fan like you." He said and smiled. She grinned, then nodded. Maybe this was a good thing. Maybe it was a day off that she deserved.

* * *

"Chica we're going to be heading home in a bit, hush," Chica whined, her tail wagging slowly as they walked to the bus stop.

Claire giggled, watching the pup with Mark as they walked. She had had a great day, with Mark of all people. It wasn't something she'd ever imagine enjoying. But here she was, having the time of her life for one day with Markiplier. It was getting late, and they both needed to head home.

"I really enjoyed it Mark. Thanks. You got me out a depression I didn't need to be in." She said softly, moving to stop at the bus stop. Heather would be there any minute.

Mark looked up at the sign, before looking at her. "It's no trouble." He said, before biting his lip. "You take the bus home?" When she nodded, he shrugged. "I can take you home, it's no big deal."

Claire immediately shook her head. "Oh no, I'll be fine. I live in a bad part of town and I'd rather you not get hurt taking me home. Especially since you're famous." She said and blushed, pushing her hair from her face. Mark raised an eyebrow. The bad part of town? Where was she living? "Besides, I've wasted enough of your money today. I can take this." She smiled and leaned against the sign for a moment.

Mark sighed, biting his lip. They had already exchanged numbers a while back, but he felt like he needed to hang out with her more. Normally he wasn't like this. But something about her. She was different. And he liked it.

"It was nice hanging with you," Claire said softly, breaking him out of his trance.

Mark smiled and nodded. "Nice hanging with you too. What are you doing in the next couple of days?" He asked.

She shrugged. "I would be working tomorrow but I got fired, so I guess I'm going to be searching for more jobs or taking extra hours at my other. Why?" She asked.

"No reason." He left it at that. There may be a reason.

Claire bit her lip when he left it. Did she do something wrong? She thought they were having a good time. Did she mess up something or was he just trying to be nice? She swallowed before the bus pulled up for the stop. Heather opened the door and smiled.

Claire grinned, before turning to Mark. "I'll see you around then?" She asked softly. Mark nodded and watched as she scratched Chica, who licked her hand. She waved to Mark, before jumping on the bus. Mark waited for the bus doors to close and the vehicle to pull off before he left.

He was still mesmerized.

"Who was that cutie?" Heather teased. Claire rolled her eyes, plopping in her usual seat.

"No one special." "Uh huh."

In fact, it was someone special. But she felt like it was a one-time thing. She didn't see it going anywhere else. He was just being friendly that's all.

Maybe it would go somewhere.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she raised an eyebrow as she fished it out. _Have a safe trip home._ She grinned, realizing it was Mark. He had even programmed his name to be "Markimoo".

"So, no one special?" Heather teased, and Claire relented, telling her amazing day to one of her closest friends.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Something cold and wet brushed into Mark's outstretched hand, followed by another wet and rough feeling. Mark groaned, brown eyes slowly opening and adjusting to the light. He must have forgotten to close his blinds last night. The feeling on his hand was Chica licking it, trying to rouse her owner so she could go out.

"Alright, Chica." He grumbled, yawning and fully opening his eyes. "Good morning to you, bub. Hold on a second." He yawned again, scratching Chica on the head and pushing the covers off of him. He sighed, stretching and listening to the popping of joints from his restless sleep. He rubbed his eyes, looking over at the clock on his bedside table. Eight am. That's the latest he's slept in a while. Scratching his neck, he looked up at Chica, who was patiently waiting by the door for him. He chuckled, grabbing a hoodie from his chair to take her out back.

"Alright. There you go bub." He unhooked the leash from her collar and closed the door after she had done her business. Chica barked, before walking over to her dog bowl at the exact moment. He chuckled, walking over to start some coffee, before going back to his room to grab his phone.

"Morning Mark." Mark looked up from the doorway when he heard Tyler.

"Morning Tyler." He mused, running a hand through his hair as he leaned against the counter to unlock his phone. He couldn't help but smile. Of course, there were thousands of notifications about comments to his latest videos and the charity live stream he was going to be hosting in a few weeks. A few emails he needed to answer about the latest conventions and if he was going. Messages from his friends and such, but only one caught his eye.

 **Claire: Got home safely last night. Thanks for looking out for me. I had fun last night. Hope you have a great day!**

Who knew. Out of all the fans, he could have met while walking Chica, it would be a girl like her. She was sweet and very kind. Chica seemed to love her, so that was definitely a plus. Chica usually took forever to warm up to people, with Claire, it was different. Everything was different. She seemed shy, almost skittish, but had soon warmed up to him. He didn't make any advances. He just didn't think she'd see him that way.

He remembered her talking about having the day off today because of her job firing her. Then he thought about it.

"Hey, Tyler?" Mark looked over at Tyler who was busy making breakfast for the both of them. Tyler looked up for a moment, pushing his glasses back on his face and raising an eyebrow.

"The video we're recording today. . ."

"Markiplier makes a sand castle with teams?"

Mark nodded. "Well, we're not going to have even teams here. I mean there you, me, Ethan, Amy, and Kathryn."

Tyler shrugged, going back to the food before he burned it. "What about it?"

He smirked. "I think I may have us an extra competitor. That way we all have teams. Think it would be a big deal?"

"Is this about the girl you met in the park last night?" Tyler interrupted the question for a moment, turning the stove off and putting the pan to the side. Mark walked over to grab his cup of coffee, before looking at Tyler. He shrugged. Tyler chuckled. They had only known each for a year and a half, yet Tyler could understand Mark like it was nothing.

"I wouldn't see why not. We could use a tripod or something to hold the camera up. We haven't done it in a while, but I don't think it'll be too hard." He handed a plate to Mark, before moving to the bar. Mark chuckled, before opening his phone up. He thought about calling here, but instead, he opened up the directory on his phone and searched for her address.

* * *

Claire yawned, stretching her body out as her limbs stuck out from under the comforter. She could feel the sun shining on her face. She could also feel how hot it was getting under the comforter from the sun on her futon.

She sighed, before looking over at her phone and unlocking it. No messages. She frowned. She had sent Mark a message that morning before falling back asleep. Maybe he was interested. Or maybe he hadn't gotten it yet. She sighed, before sitting up.

After a brisk jog that morning, she had come back and fallen asleep once again, so she was still in her tank top and leggings. She pushed the futon back up into position and folded her comforter over the top before going over to her closet. She could only afford a studio apartment. It was terrible at first, but Claire had grown used to it.

After her shower, she threw on what she could muster up. A pair of old capris and a purple tank top. It was warmer today, and steadily growing when she came back from her jog, so she knew it'd be okay for this. She looked through her cabinets to finally find her box of cereal. She knew she had to get groceries, but the money was tight. She was having to work harder for her. She turned to the little jar labeled groceries and smiled. "I should have enough for next week." She said to herself, humming as she made breakfast.

Since she had the day off, she guessed it was about time to go to the library and look for another job. She didn't have a computer at home so she used the free ones there. The librarian of the small county library let her stay there sometimes after hours. They chatted as she helped her find a job. In return, if they were behind on putting books back, Claire would help.

She wished Mark would have texted her back. She had had a great time with him yesterday. She guessed he was busy though, and she didn't want to be that person and bother him non-stop. She sighed and slid her phone into her bag, before heading out.

* * *

She knew she missed the bus. Heather only waited ten or so minutes for her, and she hadn't even thought about it. Now she'd have to wait twenty minutes for the other guy, the really creepy guy, to pick her up. She hoped he had a bunch of customers so he wouldn't bother her.

She closed the door to the front of the apartment, pocketing her keys in her bag as she took the steps down. It was about ten am when she finally emerged out of her apartment.

"Hey! Claire!"

Claire stopped, almost stiffening when she heard a male voice call her name. Who the heck was calling her name here? Most of the men that even tried to bother her didn't even know her name. She raised an eyebrow, before turning to see who was calling her.

Her heart caught in her throat and her eyes widened. There, leaning against a very nice black car and waving at her was. . .

"Mark?" She couldn't help the question that came out of her mouth. She turned to look around as if someone else was being called, but it was her. He chuckled and put his hand down as she made her way toward him.

"I was hoping I had the right address. I was only taking a guess." He smiled at her, brown eyes bright in the sunlight. His sunglasses were perched on his head at the moment. She smiled softly, running a hand through her hair.

"What are you doing here? And how did you find me?"

"Your friend. The bus driver? Called up to the depot and asked for her. Told me where you lived." Silently, Claire was cursing Heather. She didn't want him to know where she lived because it was a bad side of the neighborhood. She didn't want him here. He had more money than any of the people living here. She didn't want him to get hurt.

"Okay, that answers the second question. What about the first?" She asked, holding her bag close.

"Well, you said you had a day off today, right?" He asked.

She nodded. "Yeah. I was heading to the library to look for another job and then probably get some cleaning down at my apartment. Why?" She asked. He smiled.

"That sounds boring. I have a plan, and you're going to enjoy it. Now come on." He said. She raised an eyebrow. This morning she was worried he wasn't going to talk to her anymore, but now here she was. He opened the passenger door for her and smiled. She blushed, pushing her hair behind her ears before slipping into the car and settling down. "So where are we going?"

"Well. I remember you telling me you didn't have many friends around here yet. Working and all. And I have a video to record that involves more than one person, so we are going to go have lunch and then to the beach." He explained to her. Claire raised an eyebrow. Friends, beach? Well, that was definitely a new one. She shrugged and settled into the car seat, staring out the window.

* * *

"There they are." Mark grinned, turning to look at Claire as she got out of the car. He closed the door and smiled, before heading up toward the small outdoor café area. Claire followed behind him, smiling softly to herself. Tyler noticed Mark and waved, and Mark waved back.

"Don't worry. They're not as crazy as you think. Just on the videos." He noted and Claire nodded. She basically knew who they all were. Tyler, Ethan, Kathryn, and Amy. His camera crew, as she called them.

"Guys, this is Claire. The friend I was talking about. Claire, you probably know all of them but this is Tyler, Ethan, Kathryn, and Amy." Mark gestured to each of them. Tyler and Ethan smiled and the girls waved and said hi. There was a bark, and Amy squeaked when the leash was pulled from her hand and Chica came out from under the table, twisting her leash under Ethan's chair and toppling it over.

"Hi, Chica!" Claire cooed as the dog sprinted to her, jumping up on her and wagging her tail. She couldn't help but giggle as Tyler and Mark busted out laughing due to their friend on the ground. Claire winced, taking Chica's leash and then moving to help Ethan up with Tyler's help.

"Apparently, she likes you." Ethan joked, taking her hand and pushing himself back up as Tyler grabbed his chair. "I'm sorry." Claire apologized, biting her lip. Ethan shrugged, before sitting back down.

"Yeah, Chica really likes you. She couldn't stop whining after you had left." Mark told her. Claire smiled, scratching Chica under the chin before taking the offered seat beside Mark and Amy. She wasn't used to this, being around others unless she was at work. Chica settled beside her seat, laying down and panting. Amy smiled down at Chica, before turning to look at Claire. "So Claire. How'd you meet Mark?" She asked nicely.

"Oh. Uhm. Chica met me first. She pulled out of Mark's hands and ran straight to me." She said and bit her lip, feeling her face flush red. Ethan and Tyler were chatting about something on the other side of them and Kathryn was on her phone. Amy was the only one trying to be nice at the moment. After they ordered, Claire looked up at them. "So what were you guys doing before I was shoved into this?" She joked, smiling at Mark before turning back to the others.

"You've watched Mark's videos, right?" Tyler asked and Claire nodded. "You remember the sand castle building one?" She nodded again.

"Well, we're going to be doing team building this time. So we managed to get Kathryn and Amy both on the screen to be a part of it." Mark explained to Claire where they sat. Claire raised an eyebrow, confused. "The girls wanted to go against the guys, so Kathryn and Amy against Ethan and Tyler. Which left me alone, unless you wanted to team up with me?" He was trying to not come off as awkward, but she seemed slightly skittish like she could bolt at any moment. Maybe this was a bad idea. He shouldn't have introduced her to his friends so early.

She looked up at Mark when she felt a hand brush against her wrist. He was trying to comfort her, at least she thought he was. He always seemed like he was the caring type. "You in?" Claire swallowed, before nodding. "Okay, I'm in."

"May the best team win." Ethan joked as their food was brought out. Claire grinned, before looking at Mark and nodding.

* * *

Claire hadn't been to the beach in, well, ever. She wasn't expecting it to be this barren. The beach they picked must be empty usually.

She was standing next to Tyler's car, leaning against it as the others grabbed the equipment. She offered to help, but they declined. This was her day off, they could do it. So she stood there and held Chica, who was happy with the stuffed squirrel in her mouth. She watched the waves as they crashed against the shore almost angrily. The sun felt nice on her skin, even though she looked pale compared to the others. Even though it was warm, her skin was covered in goosebumps. She was nervous, about this all. It was very new to her.

"Hey." Claire jumped, looking over at Mark as he touched her arm. "Sorry." He said quickly, but she shook her head. "You alright?"

She shrugged. "Yeah. I'll be fine. It's just new to me." She said, looking back out toward the ocean.

"The beach?"

She nodded. "That. And being around others. Your friends are great. They must mean a lot to you." She said softly, watching as he interacted with Chica. Mark chuckled, looking toward them as they joked around, setting up the equipment. "They're great. I've known them for years. Been through it all together." He explained. She smiled and nodded, settling into silence. "Do you have any friends?"

She bit her lip. "Not really. When I moved here, I didn't really have time to find friends. It's just been myself." Mark frowned. That must have been hard, being by yourself with years.

"Well, what about family?" He noticed her stiffen and suddenly rub her arms in a comforting way. Had he said something wrong? Whatever he said it set something off in her that he wasn't aware of.

She shook her head, thankful that Kathryn was yelling at them to hurry up. She handed Mark the leash, before pulling her shoes off and placing them on the side. She then stepped into the sand, marveling at the feeling of it between her toes, and headed toward the others.

Mark watched her for a moment. He noted how the sun made her hair turn different shades of browns and reds. But then he noticed something different. The faint white lines across her arms. They were scattered and not in the same place. And the discoloration of spots on her skin as if it was bruised. She didn't act like anything was bruised. They seemed old. He raised an eyebrow before she and Amy both turned to wave him over. He chuckled, before jumping into the sand with Chica and hobbling over to them.

"You ready?" Amy asked, before hitting the record button. He made some crazy intro like last time, using the boys and then the girls in it. It was funny and confusing for Claire, but she watched.

"So yeah. We have teams of three. Amy and Kathryn versus Ethan and Tyler. And yes, many of you are wondering, who's my partner and where are they? Well, I decided to invite someone. So it is my pleasure to introduce Miss Claire here." Claire looked over at Mark as he beckoned her over. She flushed red, before walking over to the join him in the camera. She waved silently before turning to him. "We met just yesterday and I decided to invite her to join us today so now we have three equal teams. So, we've got maybe five minutes on the clock. Using our shovels and assorted building blocks, we are going to build the best sand castles there are. Ready, set, GO!"

* * *

Mark huffed, putting the equipment back into Tyler's car before slamming the trunk closed. Ethan had just finished washing off all of the toys and putting them in the car as well. It was an even match, but Mark and Claire had won the contest. The others even agreed to it. Her castle was well built, it was if it was what she liked to do. That was until Chica pulled off her leash and ran over to them, running right into Ethan and Tyler's castle and toppling it over.

Mark turned back toward the beach. Claire was by herself, throwing a ball to Chica. She would run after it and then bring it back to the laughing girl. Mark smiled, watching the two of them for a moment as he leaned against the car. The sun shone down on her, and the wind tossed her hair around her face as she threw the ball.

"She's something isn't she?"

Mark turned to Tyler who had appeared beside him. He chuckled. "Where'd you find her?" He joked.

"I think she's sweet." Amy countered, closing the door to the side of the car.

"I didn't mean it like that. I just think she's different is all. Most of the girls Mark brings around are loud and obnoxious. No offense." Tyler explained.

Mark chuckled. "None was taken." He rolled his eyes and turned to watch her once more.

"She's just very quiet and reserved. Almost like she's hiding something. She's a great girl though." Tyler added, clapping Mark on the shoulder.

"Chica seems to love her," Kathryn noted and Amy agreed. Ethan finally popped his head from out of the car where he had been lounging. "They always said dogs had a great sense of personality for people." Mark smiled. At least his friends did like her. He had been afraid of bringing her here. He didn't know how the others would react to her, but he was glad he did.

"Come on, we need to get back to the office and get some editing done," Kathryn spoke first, tossing Tyler his keys. Amy turned to move to the side, before turning to Mark. "She can come if she wants." She offered.

Mark nodded. "I'll see what she wants to do. You guys okay editing till I get there? I'll bring food." He offered. The others nodded or shrugged. Amy went to grab Chica, hugging Claire before they all headed back to the office. Mark turned to her where she was standing. She waved to him and he chuckled, before walking over as she turned her back to him, facing the ocean. Mark sighed.

 _What has gotten into me?_

He bit his lip, before moving back onto the sand toward her. She was watching the waves as they crashed against the shore, hair whipping her in the face as she held her arms. He noticed more of the faint lines and discoloration of her skin on her back where the shirt didn't cover them. What was she hiding? Did something happen that she wasn't ready to tell? He hummed softly to himself as he met her, standing beside her.

"Did you have a good time?" He finally broke the silence. Claire looked up at him and couldn't help but smile, her face flushing red.

"Of course, I did. It's not every day I get to come out here with a Youtuber that I know and love and hang out with their friends." She said softly, looking back out to the ocean. "Thank you." She added and he shrugged.

They stood there in silence for a moment, and she sighed. "It's so peaceful out here." She said softly, her mind stirring one way and her heart-stirring another. Mark nodded.

"I come out here sometimes by myself. Keeps me calm and grounded. Reminds me where I'm at in life." He stated.

"You've helped a lot of people, Mark."

"That's what they keep telling me." He said, scratching the back of his neck and sighing. She chuckled, turning to him.

"I'm serious Mark. You've helped a lot of people through hard times. I know your fans tell you that all the time, but take it from someone who knows. You do help us." Mark looked down at her for a moment, watching her as she stood there. She was truly genuine about what she was saying. There was no hint or sarcasm.

"Thanks. That means a lot to me." He said and smiled, before reaching down and wrapping his arms around her. Claire was a bit shocked, before wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face into his chest. He smelled of a soft musk, one of those really nice colognes. She could have sat there forever and inhaled his scent, but she pulled back.

"Come on. Let's grab you something to eat before you have to get home." He said, smiling and grabbing her shoes from the sand beside her. She giggled, before nodding and following him back to his car.

* * *

"I had a really nice time, Mark."

Mark looked over at her where they sat, parked near her apartment. He wouldn't dare invite himself in. He wasn't that kind of person, and he didn't want to bother her. She seemed almost scared to invite anyone in. She had to work tomorrow and he had videos to record, so he knew it'd be a bit before they actually talked to each other again.

He had noticed something though. She really did enjoy the arts. She had been humming the songs on the radio all the way home, and he had even caught her singing to a few of them. She had a great voice. He wondered what else she did when she had time.

"Thank you, for inviting me. I hope the others didn't mind."

"Of course, they didn't mind. They loved you!" Mark exclaimed, chuckling. She smiled and giggled. He really enjoyed making her laugh. It was like he was the only one that could. She looked out the window, reluctant to go back to her apartment and go back to work tomorrow. It wasn't something she was interested in. She wanted to stay with him.

"So I meant to ask you." Claire was brought from her thoughts as she looked over at Mark, who was drumming his hand on the steering wheel.

"Back out on the beach, I noticed some. . . blemishes." He couldn't find the word, but Claire knew what he was talking about. She was immediately self-conscious, rubbing her arms. "What are those?" He asked, nodding to the scars. She looked down at her left arm. A long thin white line led from the top of her shoulder to her elbow. She trembled for a moment, before taking a breath.

"I've had a rough past, Mark. A rough past, and one that I don't want to get into. I'm sorry. Just not right now." She explained quickly, biting her lip.

Mark's eyes widened before he shook his head. "No, of course not! I wouldn't want to pry! I was just curious. Sorry if I overstepped my boundaries." He said quickly, looking down. She shook her head.

"You didn't. You were just curious. I'm just not ready to tell everyone. I'm glad you care though." She said softly, patting his arm for a moment, before leaning back and grabbing her bag. "I better get in." He nodded, watching her get out of the car.

"Goodnight Mark."

"Have a great night, Clary."

Claire was halfway up the steps when she heard him call her that. She stopped, hearing that name. It was a long time ago, and it brought joy to her when she heard it. She turned to look at him, grinning, before waving and sliding inside her apartment.

Mark smiled. Clary. She seemed to like that name. At least he knew what to call her now.

 _What have I gotten myself into?_


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Since the first day Mark and Claire met they had hit it off. They were constantly texting or calling each other when they weren't near. Claire had since begun to learn the ways of editing the videos with the help of the girls. In the downtime when she wasn't helping or working, she was playing games with Mark and Ethan. Even the girls loved having her around. Not as much testosterone when there were three girls and three guys. Chica, of course, loved having her around to play with. It was as if Chica had found a new best friend that wasn't Mark. The fans were interested in her as well, after the sand castle video had been posted. But they didn't ask if she was his girlfriend or not or try to pry into her life. They just seemed to be happy for her.

Mark noticed a change in her. She was quiet and almost timid when he had first met her, but as he got to know her, she seemed to relax. She liked hanging with the girls and messing around when they were chilling after editing a video. She always liked to lay on the couch, Chica curled up beside her, her nose buried in a book or what he came to realize as a notebook or sketchpad. Sometimes she had one or both, it didn't matter. She just seemed more relaxed than before. Granted she was still overworking herself. She kept her two part-time jobs. But Mark paid her for the editing she did for him, she deserved it. She had also told him that she had gotten back into some of her hobbies. One of them was dancing. She had been volunteering at a small dance studio near his house, and the owner said she could take as many classes as she wanted. So she had started back.

Mark had also noticed how comfortable she had gotten with him after some time. When he had first met her, any slight touch he had given her, she would stiffen up, as if she was ready for him to grab her harshly or even hit her. So, he had started experimenting. Light, airy touches here and there. Just a touch of the hand or her shoulder, to see how she would react. Soon, the lighter touches began to develop. He would rest his hand on her shoulder or cover hers on the mouse to show her what to do when she was editing. She seemed comfortable with it. He didn't want to push her, just wanted to see her come out of her shell. From what she said, Claire deserved to have a better life than what she had. Even though he had never told her. He was curious but never tried.

"So the convention's next week?" Claire asked out of the blue one day. Mark turned from where he was lounging on his couch, Chica plopped in his lap. Claire was sitting in the armchair next to him, her eyes focused outside. It was raining steadily, so they called it quits for the day and were just hanging out around the house.

He nodded, hands playing with Chica's fur. "Starts on Saturday and goes through Wednesday, I think? I'll be home by Friday at the latest." He had seen how she had changed. Everyone was going except her, so she didn't seem too happy. But she still had to work, so she couldn't just up and leave. He could tell she just didn't want to be on her own. He frowned. Now he didn't want to go, didn't want to leave her.

"You get to see your friends, right?" She asked. He chuckled and nodded. He hadn't seen Wade or Bob since the tour, and he hadn't seen Jack in ages. It'd be nice to be on a panel with them again. He sighed before a lightbulb went off in his head.

"Hey, Clary?" Claire looked up at her name. She had gotten used to it now. It was very comforting to hear it from him. "I have a favor to ask."

"Shoot."

He sighed and looked down at Chica. "Well. I can't take Chica with me this time, and I don't want to leave her in a kennel. . ."

"You know they don't allow dogs in my apartment, Mark." She said quickly, but he shook his head.

"Why don't you stay here?" Claire raised an eyebrow, looking over at him for more than a minute.

"Here?"

"Yeah, here. That way you can take care of Chica, and you won't be at home in your ratty apartment by yourself. I won't be able to respond to your calls every day, but at least knowing you're here safe. . ." _Did he just say that?_ "It'd make me feel a whole lot better."

Claire bit her lip, looking down at her lap for a moment. She always loved this house, but she had her own apartment. She didn't want to butt in. But it would mean the world to take care of Chica. And it'd mean the world to him.

"I'll pay you?"

Claire rolled her eyes. "Stop that. I'll do it for free. You know I love that girl too much." She said and smiled. Chica looked up from where her head was propped in his lap, her tail thumping against his foot for a moment. Mark chuckled. "Well, then it's settled. You can use the car and everything."

Claire chuckled, a soft melody in Mark's ears. "Now you're pushing it."

"It's just gonna collect dust if it's not used." He shrugged and smiled before they lapsed into silence once again.

* * *

" _You need to ask her out, dude." Mark stirred from where he was sitting, looking up at Tyler._

" _What are you talking about?" He asked, pulling his headphones off his ears and onto his shoulders, before spinning around in his chair. Ethan chuckled, blue hair trying to turn back to his own video. He was being pulled into the conversation._

" _Mark, just stop being the macho man and ask her out. There's no way she'd say no." Tyler nodded to the screen, and that's when Mark realized what he was talking about. He had sneakily taken some photos of Claire. She found out, but she hadn't objected to them. He had just finished his video and was busy editing the pictures now. Changing the colors here and there, adding a different texture._

" _She doesn't like me that way."_

" _Of course, she does!" Amy piped in, walking up the stairs to the studio with Chica in hand. "You guys talk non-stop when you're around each other. And you check your phone constantly when she doesn't respond if she's at work or something." She sat back on the giant bean bag, sinking into it. "She watches you when you edit and when you're around us. That girl likes you, and I don't think she realizes it yet either." Kathyrn nodded and smirked._

" _What, you're in on it too?" Kathryn laughed. "Dude. We're girls. We see a lot more than you think we do."_

" _Just do it, Mark. Take her on a date. I don't think she'd mind." Tyler finally butted back in._

" _Ethan?" Mark looked over at the blue haired boy. "I'm siding with them."_

 _Mark sighed, defeated. But as he looked at the pictures in front of him, he wondered. Should he?_

* * *

"Mark!"

Mark jumped out of his trance, shaking his head, before looking up in front of him.

"Thought I'd lost you there for a moment." Claire giggled, pushing her hair from her face where she was leaning over him. He looked up at her. How her hair framed her face and fell in slight waves around her cheeks. He noticed some of the thin white scars on her face. There were two on her face that really stood out. They had been fresh. One under her left eye and the other on the bottom of her lip down her chin. The small cross necklace hung low on her neck. His eyes accidentally ran down, noting the tightness of her shirt and how much of a plunge. . .

Immediately his eyes went back up, red blossoming on his cheeks. She raised an eyebrow, before standing back up. "I have to get going. Did you want to drive me home?" He had been doing that for a while now, not even caring. Heather was upset she wasn't always seeing her favorite girl, but she was happy that she had found friends.

"Yeah, yeah. Let me just grab my keys." He said, standing up once Chica had gotten up and stumbling. His legs had fallen asleep. He stood there for a moment as she went to collect her bag. He watched her for a minute, before biting his lip.

"Clary?"

"Yeah?" Claire turned to look at him, smiling a bit.

He swallowed. "Is there any movies you wanted to go see? Like in the theaters?" _Smooth, Markiplier. Smooth._

Claire raised an eyebrow, before trying to think. "I've been wanting to see the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie, why?"

He sighed. "You want to see it this Friday? We could go out to eat and then see it. Then you could grab your things and come back here." _I hope that didn't sound too forward._

She stood there before a grin split her face. Did Mark just ask her out on a date? Butterflies flew in her stomach, and she couldn't help but blush. "I'd like that." It had never been just her and him. This would be a good change. At least she hoped.

* * *

Friday afternoon came suddenly and Claire was freaking out. It had been ages since she had been on a date. She didn't even think she had anything cute enough anymore. She had been rummaging through her closet for what felt like hours before she finally found something she liked.

She pulled the black skater skirt and blue blouse on quickly, checking herself in the mirror. The ruffles on the sleeves of the blouse were cute and she really enjoyed them. She sighed, looking in the mirror.

"He'll like this, right?" She spoke to herself, smoothing her hands down the fabric. She moved toward her small jewelry chest, grabbing a pair of silver hoops and a silver feather necklace. She looked at her chokers, before deciding against them. She pulled her watch a small silver bracelet on, before finally getting to her make-up and hair. She normally didn't wear make-up. Mark had barely seen her with any on, but she wanted to dress up for him. She pulled on some eyeliner and mascara, before smiling. That would be enough right? She then pulled her hair up into a messy by the stylish bun, some strands falling out and falling across her face. She grinned.

She hadn't worn anything like this since her last relationship, and that didn't go so well. She just hoped he would like this. She slid on her black flats when her phone finally buzzed.

 **Markimoo: I'll be there in five :)**

She grinned, before grabbing her keys to lock up. She had already packed her bag for when she'd be staying at Mark's, so all they had to do was come and grab it before heading back out back to his place.

She decided to wait outside for him. Five minutes would come and go as soon as she got down the stairs. But it hadn't. She waited by the door of her apartment.

"Hey, pretty girl."

Claire rolled her eyes. It wasn't like this was unexpected. She was used to it by now. The random guys that would try to pick her up. She knew it would be more considering what she was wearing, but she had to deal with the sleazy men even when she was just wearing jeans and a t-shirt.

She tried to ignore him, just focus on her phone at that moment. He'd be here any minute.

"Come on, girly. Who is ya waiting on?" He got closer. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of her turning to look at him. She rolled her eyes, hoping he'd get the message.

"Baby, come on."

"Go away!" She growled, putting her phone back in her bag. Where was Mark?

"Not until you look at me. Come on baby. You can come home with me." He was beside her now, his breath rancid on her shoulder. She shuddered, goosebumps rising on her skin.

 _Don't think about that._

"Hey! Look at me!" She felt his hand grip her elbow, and she immediately pulled it away, jerking from him and taking a step from the man. But he was fast. He grabbed her shoulder, shoving her until she hit the wall. She yelped. "Come on girly." He growled.

"Get away from her!" Suddenly the man has shoved away from her, another figure standing in front of her. She opened her eyes suddenly, taking a step back. Mark was standing there, practically seething as he stood in front of her, separating her from the guy.

The man stumbled, glaring at Mark, before chuckling. "Good riddance. Get rid of the slut. She ain't worth it." The words stung at Claire, and she swallowed thickly. She was not going to go into an attack. Not here. She saw Mark step forward before she reached for him.

"Mark." She said softly, her arm weakly gripping his elbow. That stopped Mark in his tracks. He had been ready to punch the guy, but her grip made him come back to reality. He turned to look at her once the guy was gone.

"You alright?" He asked quickly, eyes glancing her over to make sure she wasn't hurt. Claire looked up at him, before nodding, rubbing her arm. Mark turned back to make sure he was gone, before his hand touched the small of her back, leading her away. He knew, right then, he didn't like where she was living. Claire let him lead her. His arm was around her but in a comforting and protective way. He opened the passenger door and helped her in, before closing it and going over to the driver's side.

"Does that always happen?" He asked, pulling off the side of the street and heading to the restaurant he picked. She sighed, looking out the window.

"Not all the time. Most of the time it's late, and they're so drunk they can't even get up. So it's just words. That's the first time someone's been physical." She explained, leaning back in the seat. Mark sighed, running a hand through his hair as they sat in silence for a moment.

"He was wrong though." She turned to look at him.

"You're not a slut. You look wonderful." Claire blushed, looking down and smiling to herself. He just called her wonderful. She hadn't heard that before. She looked up at Mark. She didn't want him to be wearing a suit, so what he was wearing was great. Just a pair of nice black pants and a red button up.

"You don't look so bad yourself." She said softly, smiling. He chuckled, looking up at the stoplight.

"Alright, now that the action part of the date is over. Why don't we get to the good part?" He joked and she giggled, before nodding.

* * *

After the initial action, everything seemed to run more smoothly. The restaurant he had chosen wasn't the fanciest place, but she loved it. It had been a while since Claire had even been on a date, and it was nice to finally relax.

"So, tell me more about yourself." Claire looked up from her drink when he spoke to her, before putting it back down. "I mean I know where you're from, where you live and what you like to do, but I want to know more. If you don't mind me asking." He explained to her.

She blushed, before pushing her hair behind her ears. "Well. I'm 25 years old. I'm from a small town in Oregon. I'm an only child. I. . " She stopped, looking down and chewing her lip. Mark frowned.

"Hey, look forget I said anything. I didn't want to upset you." He said quickly. But she shook her head.

"It's about time I let you in. You've been so good to me." She said softly and sighed. "My parents split when I was about seven. They had been fighting for two years, but finally decided to split up. My father was alright for a year. I was staying with him due to school, but, he changed." She sighed. "I went from being daddy's little girl to being terrified of him." Mark frowned, listening. "He started drinking, and then the abuse started. Normally it was just if I had broken something or forgot to do a chore he would just scream at me, but, then it turned physical." She rubbed her arm again, in that comforting way that he had grown used to.

"Is that why?" He nodded to some of the scars. She nodded. "Yeah. At first, when he did it and sobered up, he would apologize or bring me gifts. But soon it just became non-stop."

"That's awful." What parent would do such a thing to their child? Especially someone like her. She didn't deserve that. "What about your mom?" He asked.

She chuckled. "I don't know what was worse. Her or him?" He raised an eyebrow. "My mom moved a few states away. She ended re-marrying and having a son of her own, my half-brother. I lived with her for a year but soon came to realize that I wasn't her child anymore. She only cared for her son. Granted, she took care of me. Bought me clothes, fed me, things like that. But she didn't love me anymore. So, instead of being in a home that I know didn't want me, I went back to my dad. I made a plan then, I was twelve, that I was going to do whatever I could to get the hell out of there when I turned eighteen." She explained to him, briefly thanking the waitress as she brought their food out.

"I can't imagine what that would have been like." He knew divorces were hard, but a divorce like that. Where neither parent wants their own child? Who would do something like that? "So when you turned eighteen?"

"When I turned eighteen I gathered up what little savings and bonds I had. My parents had actually started a saving account for me that I got when I was eighteen, and I up and left. Never to look back. I moved here and have been here ever since. I lived with a friend for a year and a half until I could get my own place. So, here I am." Claire finished.

"Now I understand why you kept it a secret."

"Believe me. It's not something I want everyone to know. And most people are scared of it. They think I'm going to snap or something." She chuckled, taking a few bites here and there. "That's why I don't have friends. Except for you guys. And why I was so adamant about not telling anyone. Now that I've told you, you can tell your friends." She said with a smile. He smiled at her, nodding.

"Why don't I let you do that?" Mark told her, and her face lit up. He could obviously tell she didn't want to let someone else tell her story. She wanted to tell them. So she would, in her own time.

"Thank you, Mark." She said softly, blushing. He nodded. _So far, so good._ He thought to himself before their conversation went off to something more light and fun.

* * *

The rest of the date went smoothly, but soon they were having to head back to her apartment to grab her things. He had to be up at four am to make sure he got to his plane on time. Plus adding on four more people was going to be hard. She already said she'd be up with them to take them to the airport.

They went to the movie, which was actually good. Claire explained how much she had loved the movies when they first came out and was always determined to see any of her favorite series of movies in theaters if she could.

She was starting to get comfortable. And it was her that made the first move. When they were sitting in the theater in the dark, he felt her small hand snake into his that was on the arm rest. He had never tried to hold her hand before, opting to let her do what she wanted. He intertwined their fingers together, her small hand curled into his and smiled, enjoying himself now.

When they got back to her apartment, he went in with her. After the whole incident, he wasn't going to let her walk in and out by herself. He sat down on her futon as she grabbed her bag and other necessities she needed. He noted her apartment. It was very small and cramped, a studio apartment. No wonder she didn't like it here. But it was very artsy. She had a small desk with a bunch of art supplies and a laptop piled up. She didn't have a TV and only the small futon. Her kitchen was very small. Most of her items were still in boxes that she hadn't moved from the corner of the room. Mark frowned. This wasn't a great place to live. Granted, he lived in a small apartment when he was first living on his own, but it just wasn't what he wanted for her. Especially on this side of town. He didn't like her living here. She wasn't safe.

"Mark." Mark looked up from where he was browsing through his phone toward the hall. She was standing there, still dressed up, with a small measly duffle bag of items beside her, and a bookbag on her back. "You ready?" She asked, moving to grab some of her art supplies and laptop. He smiled, before standing up. He intercepted the duffle, taking it from her hands, before turning to the door as she finished packing. Claire smiled, moving to stand beside him. Soon they were out of the apartment and headed back to his home.

* * *

"Tyler's probably already asleep. We should get up early. You want to drive us to the airport?" Mark asked softly, closing the door to his home once they arrived. She smiled softly, looking around the home. She never had a house like this. It had been a while, and it was quite nice to see now. She looked around, before laughing when Chica tried to bowl her over. "Hi, bub." She said softly. Mark chuckled, before running a hand through his hair. "I used to have two guest bedrooms. But one's now Tyler's and the other is full of a bunch of junk. I'll take the couch tonight, you can sleep in my room." He said.

Claire looked up at him, before shaking her head. "Absolutely not. I'm not going to have you sleeping on the couch in your own house, and then dealing with back and neck pains during your plane ride." She said softly. "I'll take the couch. It's not a big deal." She told him.

"I will not have a lady sleep on the couch," Mark argued back, looking over at her. Claire rolled her eyes. "Clary, it's no big deal. I've dealt with it before." He said softly. She shook her head. She wasn't going to impose. They stood there for a moment before she thought about.

"How about we share your bed?" Normally she wouldn't have done that. She was never like that. Not after everything. But Mark wouldn't hurt her. He would never do anything to hurt her or coerce her, or anything. He was perfect. And she knew that.

Mark looked at her, confused. He could barely touch her the first time he met her, and now she was okay with this? He shrugged. "I don't see why not." He spoke. She smiled softly, before nodding.

They both got ready for bed. "Chica, you got to sleep on the end tonight bub." He cooed. Chica huffed, before moving toward the end of the bed. Mark smiled, scratching her head as he moved to one side of the bed. He put a few pillows in the middle, not knowing if she wanted her own space or not. He just didn't want her to feel awkward or scared of him. He plugged his phone into his charger and made sure his bag was ready for tomorrow morning when she finally exited his bathroom.

He looked up at her, watching her. She was wearing a pair of black shorts that clung to her hips and what seemed to be an oversized t-shirt. It hung loosely on her body. He didn't mean to let his eyes glaze over her body. She was beautiful, and honestly, he believed she didn't see it. Claire looked over at him, smiling and pushing strands of hair from her face. She watched as his eyes suddenly moved away from her, as he cleared his throat. She chuckled, before moving and plugging her phone up on the other beside the table, and moving to sit down on the bed.

"I had a great night, Mark. It's been a while since I've had a date like that. Thank you." She said softly, smiling softly. Mark smiled and looked down, chuckling.

"I had a great time too. Believe me. It's been a while since I've been on a date." He told her. She smiled softly, her face flushed red.

"You better get your sleep. Don't want to be grumpy for tomorrow." She said, pulling her feet up and under the covers. Mark chuckled and nodded, sliding under the covers for a moment. "Goodnight Mark."

"Goodnight Clary."

* * *

In the middle of the night, the little makeshift barrier had been pushed around. Claire had woken up to a nightmare, a frightening one. Normally she was alone, and she almost freaked out when she realized she wasn't at her apartment. But then she remembered that she was staying at Mark's for the week while he was gone to his convention.

She felt the bed shift, and then suddenly an arm wrapped around her waist. She stiffened for a minute, memories flashing through her eyes. But the grip was light, almost comforting. She relaxed, closing her eyes for a moment. _He would never hurt me. He's not like him._ She thought to herself, swallowing and biting her lip.

Soon she let herself drift back off to sleep, settling into his chest. His arm tightened around her, but she didn't care. She felt, safe, for once in her life.

* * *

When his alarm went off early in the morning, Mark woke up to realize he had moved during the night and was now holding Clary in his arms. He lifted his head, but she was fast asleep. Her alarm wouldn't go off for another hour. He moved, turning off his alarm and turning the light on next to his bed. He turned back to look at her, before smiling softly. She was content, curled up beside him.

"Chica." Chica looked up at her name, tail thumping softly as she stared at the two. "Come here." She slowly moved across the bed, where Mark had been, her back curled up against Claire's. Mark smiled, scratching Chica on the head, before looking over at the two. He couldn't help but snap a picture on his phone, before swallowing thickly. His heart was hammering in his chest.

He was falling for her. And he didn't know if that was a good idea.


	5. Chapter 4

**I know I haven't really written any notes, but I'm getting along in this story. I'm still going to continue my other fictions, but I wanted to focus on this one before the idea disappeared out of my head.**

Chapter 4

Clarissa had never been so bored and lonely in her life.

It had been fine for the first day or two. She liked being at Mark's house, hanging out with Chica and focusing on her artwork and writings. But now she was bored. It sucked not having the crazy antics around. There was barely anything to do around here, and this just made it even more boring.

So when a text awoke her from her nap, she was excited.

 **Markimoo: Get on Skype in my room. Calling you in a minute.**

"Come on Chica." She called to the dog, before heading upstairs to Mark's room. She had been sleeping in his room mostly. It smelled of him, and she drifted easily off to sleep with that. The memory of them was still fresh in her brain. She didn't want to let it slip away. She turned on his computer and logged into Skype. As soon as she settled down, Mark's username popped up over the screen. She immediately answered the call, grinning as soon as she saw his familiar face.

"Hey!" He grinned, seeing her face pop up on his phone.

"Hi, there!" She said and smiled. "How's the convention?" She asked.

"Great! Wish you could be here though! Oh hey, some people want to meet you!" Claire raised an eyebrow before three other guys were suddenly in the camera. She recognized them anyway. Bob, Wade, and Jack. His three friends, along with Tyler who had just appeared.

"Hi, there! Claire, right?" Wade asked first and she grinned.

"Wow, you weren't kidding Mark. She is very pretty." Jack's Irish accent popped up and she couldn't help but blush. She could see Mark's face flush red too.

"It's very nice to meet you guys. Mark's talks about you a lot. And I've heard you guys playing games before." She said to them smiling.

"Oh, so she does stay over." Bob chuckled and she could see Mark's face flush red again.

"Wish we could meet you in person. But that's what we get for going to conventions." Wade joked.

"I'll say. I live halfway across the world." Jack mumbled and smirked. Claire giggled, and Mark finally came into view.

"I better head back. Ethan's finishing up with his signing and then we're all going out for drinks. Well, they are. I'm just here for the party." He chuckled, smiling at her.

"Don't stay up too late." She joked, smiling. "I miss you." She spoke after a few minutes. Mark couldn't help but smile at her. "I miss you too." He spoke, and then there was a loud "awh" in the background. She grinned and he rolled his eyes.

"Have fun, alright? It's only a few more days. Chica misses you too."

"I miss my bub. And yeah. You going to pick us up?" She nodded and he grinned. "I'm not going to leave you stranded." She said softly and he chuckled. She looked down at Chica, who was sitting beside her, before rubbing her arm for a moment. "I do really miss you."

Mark couldn't help but smile. "I miss you too Clary. Can't wait to be back home." Mark spoke, smiling at her through the camera. Claire sighed, blushing a bit. "How have you been doing?" He asked after a moment. Claire looked up at him, smiling softly.

"I've been tired, working extra shifts here and there to keep the money rolling in. But I've been really tired recently." She said softly. She knew she was just overworking herself, but she had to. She had to make the money. "I've finished some of your edits though."

Mark frowned. He wished she didn't have to work all those jobs just to keep her apartment. He didn't like her being there and wished she would just decide to find another apartment or something. Or even a better job. He just wanted her out of that. After all, she had been through. She didn't deserve the rest. He turned to look at her for a moment, before sighing. "Well, you have a few days off when I get back, right?"

She grinned and nodded. "Wanted to hang out with you and the others, yeah!" She said and smiled.

"Well, we'll go find something to do. How about that? Just you and me?" He asked, and suddenly there was a commotion behind him. Laughter and teasing from the four, now five, guys behind him. Mark's cheeks flushed red and he rolled his eyes, pushing Tyler in the shoulder.

She couldn't help but giggle, laughing at the guys behind him. "I'd love that Mark." She said and smiled. Mark chuckled, rubbing his hand over his face for a moment.

"I better go before these guys try to do something stupid," Mark said. She smiled and nodded. "I'll see you soon?"

"I'll see you soon, Mark." She said softly, pushing her hair from her face. She gave a wave to the camera, before ending the call. She sighed, falling back into the chair for a moment. She looked down at Chica, who was wagging her tail and looking around. "Come on, bub. Let's go for a walk." She said softly, before walking downstairs with Chica right behind her.

"Chica! Come on girl!" Claire pulled the leash to look over at the retriever mix as she sniffed the bush one more time. Claire had decided to take the girl to the local park. Where she and Mark first met. She just wanted to get out and relax after her long day at work. She was going to grab some take-out food and head back to his place, just to relax. Chica barked, tail wagging as she moved back toward the opening to head back. They had been there a while, and the sun was beginning to set. She knew it was time to turn in.

* * *

"Claire-bear!"

Claire stopped, her breath catching in her throat. Her body stiffened, goosebumps rising on her flesh. She hadn't heard that nickname, or that voice, in a long time.

Slowly, she turned, shocking Chica a bit when she was pulled on the leash. It wasn't just her mind playing tricks on her. She felt her body began to tremble, but she suppressed it.

"Eric." She spoke softly. The twenty-eight-year-old blonde hair, blue eyed man could dress to impress and charm his way into your life. But he held a back story, a violent backstory.

"I haven't seen you in years, Claire. How have you been?" He took a step forward, to hug her. And she immediately stepped back.

"There's a reason for that." She mumbled, looking down, not wanting to look at him. Chica growled, hair raised on end. She moved forward, stopping in between Claire and Eric. Eric took a step back, looking down at the dog.

"Whose mutt is that? I don't remember you having a dog." He asked, trying to make small talk. Watching her.

"This is Chica. She's a friend of mines. I'm dog-sitting." She said quickly. Short, clipped responses. She wanted out of here. She didn't want to be around him. Eric nodded, reaching down to pet Chica. But Chica growled, moving to snap at him. She had never seen Chica be that aggressive. She was never aggressive. She pulled the leash, putting her hand on the dog. She didn't turn around or even wag her tail, just watched Eric. Eric took a step back, glaring at the dog, before smirking.

"You're still as beautiful as ever." He said with a smirk. Claire shook her head, moving to the entrance of the park. "I have to go, Eric." She said quickly, pulling Chica's leash a little rough to get her attention.

"See ya Claire-bear." He called, all cheery. She rolled her eyes and quickly got out of there. She wasn't going to deal with that.

* * *

She slammed the door and slid down the wall, taking a breath in. She could feel her body begin to tremble violently, her breath coming in short gasps. Her hands tugged at her hair as she balled up, rocking herself. He was back. Everything was back. The memories were flooding back to her. She couldn't take it. She whimpered.

Chica whined, still not off her leash. She moved and laid down beside Claire, nosing her way under her arms and looking up at the girl. Her tag wagged slowly beside her, watching the girl. Claire managed to open her eyes, tearful and bright, to look down at Chica, who was looking up at her. She looked down at Chica, before her hand slowly moved and made its way into her fur, then her other one. Chica licked her cheek, looking up at her, and Claire couldn't help but smile.

She slowly reached for her phone once her breathing was stable. She unlocked it to see Mark's messages across the phone. He seemed to be worried when she didn't answer his first messages.

 **Clary: Sorry. Was walking Chica. Everything's great!**

She bit her lip and locked her phone, before looking at Chica, whose tail was wagging faster now. "Only you could coax me out of my own attack, bub." She cooed to the pup, who barked softly. She kissed Chica's nose, before grinning.

* * *

Mark grinned when he saw her text. He quickly responded before pocketing his phone.

"So, this Claire girl?" Wade joked, walking beside his friend.

"Oh, he's totally in love with the girl," Tyler added on, chuckling as he walked beside Ethan. Mark's face flushed red, before shaking his head.

"We went on one date! One! And she's taking care of the house and Chica! That's it." He stated quickly, trying to avoid everyone else.

"I highly doubt it's just platonic, dude," Jack spoke, running a hand through his vivid green hair. Bob nodded. "Yeah, dude. Come on. You've never been that way with any of the girls you've dated. Most of the time you wouldn't even respond to them during a convention, let alone Skype them. So yeah, you're in love." He explained. Mark rolled his eyes, shoving his hands in his pockets as they walked down the road to the nearest bar.

"I don't even think she sees me that way," Mark mumbled after a moment. This time it was Ethan who scoffed. "Oh, she sees you that way, definitely. Amy and Kathryn both see it, and you know they're always right." He said, and the others laughed. Mark rolled his eyes and tried to refrain from checking his phone. But he really did miss her. Too much.

"I just miss Chica." He lied.

"Yeah. Her and Claire. Stop lying." Tyler pushed him playfully, smirking. Mark glared at Tyler, before softening and sighing.

Maybe there was something he was avoiding. And maybe he should stop avoiding it.

* * *

 **Markimoo: Guess who's back?! Back again!?**

 **Clary: Did you seriously just copy Eminem?**

 **Markimoo: Guilty!**

 **Clary: Dork!**

Clary laughed at the messages, before pocketing her phone and grabbing her bag from the seat beside her. She had been sitting there for at least two hours, waiting for Mark and his friends' plane to land. She was their ride home, and she couldn't wait to see all of them. She missed everyone. But she really missed Mark.

Maybe she was rushing it? But every time she thought about him, she felt goosebumps across her skin. It was as if he was really starting to change her. She felt so comfortable around him like she should. And she just wanted to spend more time with him. She swallowed thickly as she made her way toward the entrance to the airport, hoping to see him first thing.

She waited by the entrance for at least thirty minutes, waiting, and then watching the swarm of passengers as they entered. She felt a body rush past her and watched as what seemed to be a girlfriend running into her boyfriend's arms. She swallowed, wanting that. She really wanted to know what that felt like.

She turned back around just in time to see them. She saw blue hair first, Ethan had entered first. Followed by Tyler, then Amy and Kathryn.

She then grinned, as soon as she saw that dark-haired man in a red flannel. He turned to the others for a moment, before turning to look through the crowd. She was small, so she had to fight her way through the groups of people. Once she made it, he saw her, and he grinned. She couldn't help the grin that widened across her face and ran at him, practically jumping in his arms. Her arms managed to make it around his neck as his arms made their way around her waist. He practically picked her up off the ground, and she let him, kicking her legs up. His embrace was strong, but not overbearing. Comfortable, warm. . .

"I missed you." She whispered, her face buried in his neck, inhaling his familiar scent. His face was buried in her hair, grinning. "I missed you too." He said softly, holding her to him and not wanting to let go. She felt so, right, in his arms. Perfect even.

"We missed you too." Ethan cut in. Claire felt her feet hit the ground as she turned to the others. Amy and Kathryn both were giggling and Tyler just rolled his eyes. She laughed, before pulling away from Mark and hugging the rest of Teamiplier.

* * *

Mark laughed. "I get home from being away for a week, and Chica still would rather be around you than me." He said with a chuckle. Claire looked up from where she was laying across his bed, Chica laid beside her. She giggled, before sitting up.

"Thank you for letting me borrow your clothes. All of my clothes are dirty now." She said with a laugh. He had managed to find a pair of women's pajama pants from his live stream to give to her, but the shirt was harder. So, she was wearing one of his old gamer shirts he had. She looked cute in it, and he couldn't help but smile. He nodded, turning his computer off for a moment, and yawning.

"I have a favor to ask." Clary's voice spoke softly. He turned and smiled. "Shoot. You already did one for me."

She giggled, before sighing. "So, remember the dance company I've been practicing at?" How could Mark forget? He was the one that told her to go volunteer and saw where that got her. He nodded to her.

"So, one of my dances got picked to be a showcase."

"That's awesome Clary." He said, grinning and squeezing her shoulders. She grinned and nodded. "I want you guys to come see me perform. It would mean the world to me, Mark." She said quickly, looking up at him. Mark chuckled.

"We wouldn't miss it for the world." Claire grinned, pushing her hair from her face. He really did care for her, as well as the others. She never thought anyone would care for her like they do. She finally felt like she had a home to go to, and a family that loved her and would do anything for her.

"What are you thinking? I can see the wheels turning." Mark brought her out of her trance. She turned to look at him where he sat beside her. She sighed, biting her lip.

"This is the first time, in a long time, that I have ever felt like I belong to a family." She told him, turning to look at him after a moment, and smiling softly. Mark smiled at her.

"You should feel like that. Clary, after everything you've been through. You deserve to feel like you have a family. We are your family, just because we're not technically blood. . ."

"Family doesn't end in blood," Clary said, quoting one of her favorite shows. Mark smiled softly to her, placing her hand on her knee. She grinned, biting her lip, before pushing her shoulder into his. He laughed, pushing her back softly. The soft pushes began a shoving match. Laughter erupted from both as they pushed each other back and forth. Clary made a bolder move, shoving him back on the bed and practically pinning him down. They both were red from laughing so hard. Mark looked up at her, trying to catch his breath as they laid there. She stopped, looking over at him and biting her lip. Their breath practically mingled together where they were.

Clary slowly moved, laying down beside him. Her arm wrapped around his middle as she laid her head on his chest. Mark was a bit surprised that she made the first move instead of him making the first move. His arm was caught under her, and he slowly moved and wrapped it around her shoulders, pulling her close to him. She sighed softly, letting his heartbeat lull her to sleep.

"I'm glad you're here Mark. With me." She said softly, closing her eyes for a moment. Mark turned to look at her for a moment, pushing a bit of her hair from her face. "I'm glad you're here too, Clary." He whispered, watching her as she slowly fell asleep. He had seen the change in her, and he was glad. He was glad to see her so relaxed with him. He never thought he'd see this, but now.

He sighed, feeling her breath even out as she slowly fell asleep. She just seemed so peaceful beside her. Slowly, he moved, giving her a kiss on the forehead. "Goodnight Clary." He said softly, watching her, before turning to look at Chica when she suddenly moved to lay beside him. He smiled, scratching her head with his free hand. "What do you think, Chica? You like her?" He asked. Chica licked his hand, before laying down beside him with a huff. He chuckled. "Yeah. I like her too." He said softly, before letting himself settle down. Maybe he was falling too deep. But right now, he didn't care.

 **Thanks for reading. I promise I'm going to have more action soon, and some songs as well. Review if you want to please :)**


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"You really like him, huh?"

Claire looked up from her phone when Amy spoke to her. This was the first time she had actually gone out with Amy and Kathryn and not the add on guys that seemed to follow them. Claire had gotten a bonus for working so much at one of her jobs, and once she had paid bills and saved some, she still had a little left over. She knew her clothes were getting ratty and old, so she grabbed the girls up to head to a couple of vintage stores with her.

She blushed and pocketed her phone in the old jeans she was wearing now. "Of course, I do. Was it not obvious?" She asked playfully, walking over to the racks to see what she could find. Amy was practically shopping for her now anyway. She had this really cool sense of style and Claire was happy to be a model for her. She picked up a few shirts she liked, smiling at the price. She was still a stickler for prices. "But we've only been on one date."

"One date. That led to your house sitting and dog sitting. That also led to you practically tackling him down at the airport, and now you're basically living with him. And he hasn't said anything bad about it yet." Kathryn butted in, grabbing a cute seafoam green dress. She held it up to Claire, before looking over at Amy for approval. Claire blushed, rolling her eyes at the girls.

"That still doesn't mean anything."

"You sleep in the same bed with him!" Kathryn argued. If Claire face could have gotten any redder, it probably would have at that moment. She peered over the racks to make sure no one had heard them, before continuing in her endeavor to find some nice clothes. After a moment, she turned to them. "Do you think he likes me?"

Amy turned to Kathryn before both were giggling. Claire raised an eyebrow. "Is that a good or bad thing?"

"It's a great thing. Claire, I haven't seen Mark as happy since he got Chica. He's been single for a while and I honestly don't know why." Kathryn explained.

"I know. Because he's a proper gentleman. . .." Amy started.

"With a crazy sense of humor." Kathryn cut into Amy's rant. Amy rolled her eyes, pushing her friend and turning back to Claire. "The sense of humor is only around the guys. I don't think he's ever tried any of that on her. Anyway, He's a gentleman that needed someone like Claire to finally break him out of his shell." Claire blushed at Amy's explanation, turning back to her clothes as they moved to the fitting room. Normally she would wear baggy sweaters, but these girls were going to force her into something more fitting.

"Well if I broke him out of his shell. Then he must be doing the same for me." She whispered, sliding into the fitting room while the two girls waited. "Oh, Amy! I mean to ask you. Since my performance is in three days. I was wondering if you'd do my hair and makeup for it? I'm not that great at that type of stuff." She called over the door.

Amy laughed. "I believe you have the hair stuff down. Not to mention the newly found piercing." Claire laughed. So, she got a bit more confident. She had purple streaks dyed into her hair a few days back, plus she got her nose pierced, just a small little stud, but it was a big step for her. Mark seemed to love it. "But of course, I will." Amy chided in, grinning and nodding as the door opened for the girl to show off her outfit.

* * *

"Have you kissed her yet?"

"What kind of a question is that?" Mark asked quickly, his shoulders moving with the game. Ethan and he were hanging out in Ethan's apartment, playing video games of all things. Tyler was hanging out as well, though mostly just watching or messing with his phone. He wasn't really into games like the others were. He was pretty content just sitting here and watching the others.

"A serious question? Have you kissed Claire yet?" Ethan repeated himself, laughing as he beat Mark. Mark grunted, before hitting the continue button.

"No, I haven't kissed her yet. We've gone on one date." Mark argued, rolling his eyes. Ethan smirked and Tyler just rolled his eyes.

"I told you. He's that type of guy."

"Most guys should be that type of guy, doof. Who wouldn't be?" Tyler threw his hands up in surrender. "Not saying it's a bad thing dude. But I just thought you'd guys would be dating already. Since she sleeps in the same bed as you and I've heard the nightmares." He explained.

"Yeah, sorry about that. She was so upset about it." Mark apologized. It had been unsettling for all three of them, and Chica. It had started out with a bit of tossing and turning that had stirred Mark from his sleep. But soon it had increased to whimpers, and then she had full on screamed and sat up. It freaked Mark and Chica both out, and it was the first-time Mark had seen Clary have an anxiety attack. Before Mark could even calm her down, Tyler had run down the hall to his room, hoping nothing had gone wrong. He had never seen Claire at her worst. She had her hands tightly wound in her hair, breathing heavily. Chica whined and put her nose against Clary's neck, trying to rouse her. Once Clary had calmed down enough, Mark had taken her into his arms and rocked her until she could breathe evenly again. Tyler was like the big brother, watching over them. After a moment or two, and a glass of water brought from Tyler, Claire was able to calm down enough and hug Tyler as well as Mark. It had been scary, but they managed. Claire had to explain to them that she had anxiety, and also had to tell her history to Tyler. He didn't seem changed by it, it was just a part of her.

"I'm just saying. You both enjoy each other's company and I can see you both like each other. Just don't let it disappear. I don't think you could find a girl like that anywhere." He said. Ethan nodded, before groaning when he lost. Mark laughed, before rolling his eyes.

"I'm not letting her out of my sight anytime soon. And I'm not letting it get to my head either. She's a great girl. And everyone seems to love her. Why would I let that go?" He said. Tyler chuckled, before shaking his head. Everyone agreed, Claire was right for him.

* * *

Mark slid past all the others in the auditorium, trying to find where Amy and the others had saved his seat. He was almost late to her performance, and he wasn't going to risk that. Claire had worked extra hard on her presentation, he had watched her a few times practice. He wasn't going to miss this opportunity for her. He shoved his hands in his pockets as he slid past a few more people, before finally seeing Amy's blonde hair sitting next to Ethan's blue hair. He moved quickly and slid into the seat, just as the lights dimmed. He sighed. Looking for the program, he knew Clary's performance would be near the ending, so he would have to sit through these. But if it meant something to her, then he would do it. His friends would do it too. Which he was happy with. Knowing not only did he like her, but they liked her as well. It brought a smile to Mark's face.

After a few different performances, the light finally shined down on Clary. She took a breath quickly, swallowing down any last-minute fears she had. Her hand smoothed down the sheer skirt over her dark purple leotard. It matched the sheer sleeves that fell across her wrists. She heard her name and clapping, before taking a deep breath and walking out. Her eyes immediately looked around for them.

Her eyes immediately focused on the blue tuft of hair, next to the platinum blonde female. She smiled, but as soon as she saw Mark, she grinned. He was smiling up at her as they made eye contact. She gave him a swift nod, before getting into position. As soon as she had seen him, everything else fell into place.

* * *

"She should be out here soon," Ethan spoke as he leaned against the wall. Mark rolled his eyes as he looked at the others. The performance was amazing, and he couldn't take his eyes off of Clary at the exact moment. She was wonderful, and the song she danced to explained her story to the others. If they hadn't known her story, then they wouldn't have understood it, but even if they didn't, it was still an amazing performance.

He held the bouquet of flowers in his hand. Tyler had helped him pick them out. He wasn't well informed on flowers, but with two heads instead of one, they managed to find a bouquet that she would like. They were waiting by the stage door, waiting for her to emerge after the performances. Mark watched as a dancer ran over to what seemed to be her boyfriend, kissing him gently as he hugged her. He felt his face flushed red and turned away immediately. He heard Tyler snicker beside him.

The door opened a few times before he finally saw her emerge from the stage. Clary pushed the door open, still in her costume, but wearing one of Mark's hoodies. He grinned, pushing himself up from the wall to turn to her. Clary looked over when she saw her group, before grinning. Amy and Kathryn met her first, hugging her and congratulating her. Ethan and Tyler grabbed her next, and she couldn't help but laugh and smile at them, before turning to look at Mark. She couldn't help but blush, her eyes making their way down to the flowers in his hand. He looked down at them, chuckling.

"Tyler helped me pick them out, but I thought you would like them if. . ." But he was cut off mid-sentence as her arms wrapped around his neck. She buried his face into his neck, grinning as his arms made their way around his waist. He buried his face into her hair, inhaling the normal flowery scent she always seemed to have. He could have held her that for a long time, but he knew he had to pull away. He let her go and looked down at her.

Clary smiled softly, before slowly taking the flowers from him. She looked down at them, her face flushed pink. She hoped she was still hot from the performance. "Thank you." She said softly, blushing. "Thank you all for coming. It meant a whole lot to me." She added, before turning to the others that were standing there.

"Of course, You were great out there." Amy exclaimed, looking to the others, who agreed. She smiled and blushed, hugging all of them after a moment.

"So, dinner at that Italian place you like so much? Our treat." Ethan clapped his hands, grinning. Clary looked over at him and raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"We were going to treat you whether it was a restaurant or take-out, either way. You deserve it, and Teamiplier is going to treat you." Tyler joked, shoving his hands in his pockets. Clary chuckled, looking up at Mark, who was smiling. They all had planned this.

"Alright. Sounds like a plan. Let me get changed and we can head out." She said with a smile. The others nodded. Clary smiled. "You're my ride, right?" She asked Mark. Mark chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "Course. I can wait." She smiled and nodded, before waving to the others and dragging Mark back to the dressing rooms so she could change.

* * *

Mark got bored, waiting for Clary as she changed, so he ended up walking back stage and then on stage. It wasn't as big as the stages he has been on before at his conventions and such, but it was big enough, especially for Clary.

He walked around the stage for a few minutes, before a chuckle startled him. He turned to see Clary, who was finally dressed. Her hair had fallen out of its bun and was now pulled half back, her brown eyes bright. She was wearing a pair of black leggings and a maroon tunic dress over them, black boots completing the outfit. Yet she was still wearing his hoodie draped over her dress. The flowers were still in her hands, along with her bag. Mark smiled, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Having fun out here?" She joked and he smirked, making his way back over to her. "Just checking out the stage where you so elaborately performed." He grinned. She couldn't help but giggle, pushing fly away from her face as she moved toward him.

"It wasn't that great." She mumbled, and he scoffed.

"Are you kidding? It was amazing! Very. . . very. . ." Mark couldn't put the right words on it.

"Emotional?" Mark stopped, looking over at her. She smiled, looking down for a moment before looking back up. "Yeah. That it was. Everyone keeps telling me that. Some people were moved, others were deeply worried about it. They think I'm. .crazy." She explained, moving to put the flowers down with her bag. Mark frowned, looking around the stage for a moment, before looking at her.

"It was about your parents, wasn't it?" Clary looked up at him, before nodding.

"Look, don't listen to what they say, alright? It was amazing, beautiful, and it told an amazing story. They're just going to have to get used to it." Mark explained to her as they stood there. She smiled and sighed softly, before nodding after a moment. "Alright, alright." She said, before looking up. "Thank you. I really appreciate you all being there for me. It's nice to have friends." She said, blushing.

Mark smiled, before slowly turning away. "So, you really know how to dance huh?" He asked, chuckling. "You willing to teach little ole Markiplier? For us, video purposes?" He asked. Clary looked up at him, before giggling and smirking. "You want to learn how to dance?"

"We have like maybe ten minutes before Amy comes in here and grabs us." He said. She smiled softly, before turning back to her bag. She rummaged through to find her phone and the small Bluetooth speaker she owned. She flipped through her music, before finally turning an upbeat song on. She smiled, before looking over at him and walking back over to him.

"Alright, you ready?" She held her hands out for him.

He laughed. "Born ready." He joked. She rolled her eyes, before taking his hands in hers and beginning to teach him the moves. They swayed to the music for a minute, before she taught him a few steps. He would always apologize, but she just brushed it off. Her heart was beating fast as they danced. They were close, and it was very nice. Mark grinned down at her, finally learning steps and even twirling her a few times. He would spin her a few times, relishing in her laughter and giggles she erupted. He even picked her up and spun her for a moment, laughing as she threw her head back in glee.

"You said you couldn't dance?" She asked, her hands resting on his chest as he pulled her to him, tightening his arms around her waist. He shrugged, smirking. "I knew a few things, here and there. But not much." He spoke. She grinned, before turning to look at him once more. They stared at each other for a moment. She felt her face flush red, feeling his heartbeat against her hand.

 _He's not Eric. He's way different than Eric. He would never hurt you. It's time to move on. It's time to let go._

"Clarissa?" Clary looked up at him, letting her hand touch his neck for a moment. "Yes?"

"You know I really do care for you, right? And I wouldn't hurt you." He spoke softly, comforting her. She looked down for a moment, before looking back up.

"I know." She said quickly, before making a bold move. She closed the distance, capturing his lips with hers. The kiss was soft and slow, as her hands made their way around his neck, playing with the hair on the back of his neck. His arms tightened around her waist, kissing her with the same soft passion he felt.

"Hey, guys. . whoa!"

Mark pulled away, turning to look at Amy who had appeared in the stage after a moment. After a moment, she couldn't help but grin. "I knew it!" She exclaimed. Mark laughed, and Claire was giggling, burying her face in his chest for a moment. "Ethan! You owe me twenty bucks!" She disappeared out the door. Mark laughed, rolling his eyes, before turning to Claire. She smiled softly, blushing and looking down.

"You ready to go?" He asked. She blushed and nodded, before moving to grab her things. She grabbed her bag. Mark waited for a moment before he felt a small hand slide into his. He looked down as her fingers intertwined with his and he smiled.

"Let's go. Your friends are going to give us Hell."

"They're your friends too." He teased and she grinned, before following him.

* * *

 **Hey guys! So if you need an idea for the dances and songs. For the dance just look up Dancing With The Stars Julianne and Derek Hough Unsteady, or something like that. It's a really great dance. And then for the song Mark and Clary dance just look up Legends by Kelsea Ballerini. I think I might have spelled her name wrong but it's the two songs and the dance I used for my chapter. I know it's not very long but I've been very busy so I've been trying to get it out as much as I can.**


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